This invention relates to a rotary fluid energy translating device suitable for use as a fluid pump or a fluid motor of the static pressure type.
Conventional fluid pumps or motors of this type are necessarily provided with a mechanism including a cam and/or linkage for converting the rotational force of an input shaft into the linear force of a piston, a plunger or the like linearly moving element, or inversely the linear force of such an element into the rotational force of an output shaft. Since the component parts or elements of such mechanisms usually move relative to each other under a considerable amount of mutual contact force, it is essential to provide either a sliding bearing which utilizes, for example, the wedge effect of a film of lubricating oil due to its oiliness or viscosity, or an anti-friction bearing which utilizes the rolling action of balls or rollers.
In the sliding bearing, it is necessary to use as the working fluid an oil which has a proper viscosity. With water or any other fluid having a viscosity similar to that of water, it is difficult to run the machine smoothly with resulting shortening of the life of the machine. Therefore, the kind of working fluid that can be used in the sliding bearing is limited. This is a great disadvantage.
If an anti-friction bearing is used in the machine, the life of the whole machine depends on that of the bearing, so that it is difficult to increase the durability of the machine. Moreover, the anti-friction bearing is comparatively large in size, so that it is difficult to make the machine which includes such anti-friction bearings compact in size and light in weight.
Accordingly, the primary object of the invention is to provide a rotary fluid energy translating device which utilizes static fluid pressure bearing for conversion of a linear to a rotational force or inversely a rotational to a linear force without using any mechanical energy translating means, thereby to eliminate the above-mentioned and other disadvantages of the conventional devices.
The invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.